Infertility Awareness Unveiled

Scores of individuals and couples continue to fight their own battle of infertility. Currently, one out of eight American couples is dealing with the heartache of infertility.

This week marks National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), and the days are filled with education, sensitivity, and unity. In one way or another, a person knows of someone who has been touched by the sad imprint of infertility. And that someone could be them.

While fertility specialists are making strides, and there are happy successes, not every individual or couple can overcome it.

Thankfully, surrogacy bridges the infertility gap helping make parenthood dreams come true for those who cannot have a baby without the help of their gestational surrogate.

With that said, there was an eye-opening article published during NIAW. As noted, while fertility specialists are forging ahead, there are still some things that remain unknown in this field of medicine.

Amanda Almendrala of the Huffington Post wrote a comprehensive article highlighting these items.

One cause of infertility in women is polycystic ovarian syndrome, otherwise known as PCOS. Still with medical advancements, researchers don’t know what causes it. And it’s estimated that 10% of women are affected by it.

“If scientists could figure out why PCOS starts in the first place, it could empower women to take steps to prevent the syndrome from taking root. It’s thought to be at least partially genetic, as women are more likely to have PCOS if they have relatives that also have the condition,” Alemendrala writes. She continues, “Some research has also found a link to high body fat and BMI.”

She goes on to say that what hasn’t been established is what emerges first.

Other topics touched upon in the article have to do with understanding the “normal” production of sperm and desiring more uterine knowledge for embryo implantation. Yes, while refining the quality of harvested eggs and embryos has been done, the uterus remains elusive.

Milan Bagchi of the molecular and integrative physiology department at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, conveys to Huffington Post, “Almost two-thirds of IVF cycles don’t result in pregnancy, and it’s partly because the implantation of a viable embryo remains a mystery to doctors.”

While fertility medicine continues to evolve, it’s important for all individuals and couples to know that everyone has the right to the love of a child. If a traditional pregnancy is not possible at this moment in time, there are other ways to make parenthood dreams come true.